Travel at major U.S. airports turned into a nightmare Sunday, with up to three-hour long security wait times and a shortage of TSA workers at the start of spring break travel amid the partial government shutdown.
Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Lauren Bis said travelers are facing missed flights and massive delays. She blamed the chaos on congressional Democrats' refusal to fund DHS, which has led to the partial shutdown.
"These political stunts force patriotic TSA officers, who protect our skies from serious threats, to work without pay," she said. "These frontline heroes received only partial paychecks earlier this month and now face their first full missed paycheck, leading to financial hardship, absences, and crippling staffing shortages."
DHS fundingexpired on Feb. 13, with lawmakers locking horns over Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection policies after federal agents killed two Americans in Minneapolis. Democrats are seeking reforms to rein in those agencies, but Republicans have argued that changes were already made in response to the killings.
The impasse triggered the partial shutdown impacting DHS, which affects the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Coast Guard.
TSA officers, who are considered essential employees, must work without pay while the funding bill is stalled in Congress.
Sunday's delays come as this week marks the start of the bustling spring break travel period.
William P. Hobby Airport in Houston was experiencing a wait time of 2 hours and 45 minutes just before noon Sunday, according to federal officials.
The Airportwarned on Xthat TSA wait times may exceed three hours. "Due to the federal government shutdown, passengers should arrive 4-5 hours before their flight to allow extra time for TSA screening," the airport said.
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One Southwest Airlines travelershared a photo showing packed linesat the airport. She said she was in an hour-and-a-half line to check her baggage and her flight was due to leave in 2.5 hours.
"TSA isn't working so security is basically shut down!! They say the security line is at least four hours long right now," she wrote.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport had wait times of an hour, while George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston had a wait time of 51 minutes and Charlotte Douglas International Airport a delay of 47 minutes, officials said.
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport also warned ofa shortage of TSA workers at security checkpointscausing "longer-than-average lines." Travelers were asked to arrive at least three hours before departure.
Airlines for America, a trade association whose members include American, Delta, United and Southwest, on Sunday decried what it characterized as the use of transportation security workers for "political leverage" and the subsequent delays and strain on the aviation system.
"We are in spring break travel season and expecting record numbers of people to take to the skies," A4A President and CEO Chris Sununu said in a statement. "Airlines have done their part to prepare; now Congress and the administration must act with urgency to reach a deal that reopens DHS and ends this shutdown."
The White House and Senate Democrats have traded offers back and forth in past weeks but have thus far failed to reach a funding breakthrough.
Republicans sought to usethe Iran war to pressure Democratsto relent on their demands, but Democrats have refused.
It's been an embattled year for TSA workers, who already went weeks without pay during the43-day shutdownthatended in November.